Forsythia suspensa
Family Oleaceae – Olive, Ash, Lilac
The fruit of this species are used in homeopathic medicine, although efficacy is not supported by modern scientific research.
Plants in genus Forsythia are deciduous flowering shrubs renowned for their bright yellow early spring flowers. They are known by a wealth of colloquial and common names, including golden-bell, weeping forsythia, weeping goldbells, and in Chinese, lian qiao [3]
Leaves are opposite, usually simple but sometimes trifoliate with a basal pair of small leaflets, and range from 1-4 in. in length; the margin is serrated or entire. The flowers are produced in the early spring before the leaves, bright yellow with a deeply four-lobed flower, the petals joined only at the base.
It is widely believed that forsythia flowers are able to produce lactose, but this contention is not supported by scientific evidence. The fruit is a dry capsule, containing several winged seeds. The genus name comes from William Forsyth (1737-1804), a prominent Scottish botanist of the 18th century. He was a founding member and head gardener of the Royal Horticultural Society of the U.K.
References
- Forsythia suspensa, Morton Arboretum acc. 80-96*2, photographed April 4 © Bruce Marlin
- Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eFloras.org, Flora of China “Forsythia Vahl, Enum. Pl. 1: 39. 1804“
Family Oleaceae – Olive, Ash, Lilac and Privet
The olive family contains 25 genera and over 500 species of flowering plants. Most species are native to temperate and tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The best known of this family are olive, ash, privet, lilac, and Forsythia.
